US20100134572A1 - Ink Jet Recording Apparatus and Ink Jet Recording Method - Google Patents
Ink Jet Recording Apparatus and Ink Jet Recording Method Download PDFInfo
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- US20100134572A1 US20100134572A1 US12/629,358 US62935809A US2010134572A1 US 20100134572 A1 US20100134572 A1 US 20100134572A1 US 62935809 A US62935809 A US 62935809A US 2010134572 A1 US2010134572 A1 US 2010134572A1
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- powder
- ink
- transporting roller
- ink jet
- jet recording
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
- B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
- B41J13/00—Devices or arrangements of selective printing mechanisms, e.g. ink-jet printers or thermal printers, specially adapted for supporting or handling copy material in short lengths, e.g. sheets
- B41J13/02—Rollers
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
- B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
- B41J11/00—Devices or arrangements of selective printing mechanisms, e.g. ink-jet printers or thermal printers, for supporting or handling copy material in sheet or web form
- B41J11/0015—Devices or arrangements of selective printing mechanisms, e.g. ink-jet printers or thermal printers, for supporting or handling copy material in sheet or web form for treating before, during or after printing or for uniform coating or laminating the copy material before or after printing
Definitions
- the present invention relates to an ink jet recording apparatus and an ink jet recording method.
- Ink jet recording apparatuses have been generally used as recording apparatuses capable of high-speed and high-quality recording.
- a desired image (information) is recorded by causing the ink jetted or discharged from an ink jetting mechanism to adhere to a recording surface of a recording medium.
- an image and/or a letter recorded on the recording surface of the recording medium is transferred, in some cases, to a roller (transporting roller or conveying roller) disposed downstream of the ink jetting mechanism in the transporting direction of the recording medium.
- the image is transferred onto the transporting roller, the image is thereafter retransferred onto the recording surface of the following recording medium and image quality is degraded. This problem is especially serious in a case that a water-base ink pigment with a low drying rate or speed is used and/or in a case that high-speed recording is required.
- a transporting roller has been suggested in which abrasive grains, glass particles, metal particles, etc. are caused to protrude from a surface of the roller and the surface is coated (Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-open Publication No. 5-72844).
- the protruding particles decrease a contact surface area of the transporting roller surface and the recording surface of the recording medium, thereby reducing the retransfer of the image to the recording surface of the following recording medium.
- the particles are fixedly attached to the transporting roller surface by coating. Therefore, the retransfer of image by the protruding portions of the particles still cannot be prevented or suppressed.
- sheets of recording medium on which images have been recorded are stacked so that the following recording medium is placed on the recording surface of the preceding recording medium.
- the following recording medium is stacked before the recording surface of the preceding recording medium has dried.
- the resultant problem is that an image is transferred on the back surface of the following recording medium (the so-called back transfer) or sheets of recording medium on which images have been recorded stick to each other.
- an object of the present invention to provide an ink jet recording apparatus and an ink jet recording method in which image (information) transfer from the recording surface of the recording medium to the transporting roller and image retransfer from the transporting roller to the recording surface of the following recording medium are suppressed or inhibited and which is excellent in the recording quality.
- Another object of the present invention is to provide an ink jet recording apparatus and an ink jet recording method in which, in a case that the sheets of recording medium are stacked after recording, the transfer of the image onto the following recording medium (the so-called back transfer) is prevented and the sheets of the recording medium are prevented from sticking to each other.
- an ink jet recording apparatus which records information on a medium by jetting an ink onto a recording surface of the medium, including: an ink accommodation section which accommodates the ink; a head which jets the ink onto the recording surface; a transporting roller which transports the medium on which the information has been recorded; and a powder supply mechanism which supplies a powder to the transporting roller.
- an ink jet recording method including: recording information on a medium by jetting an ink onto a recording surface of the medium; supplying a powder to a transporting roller which transports the medium on which the information has been recorded; and transporting the medium on which the information has been recorded by the transporting roller to which the powder has been supplied.
- FIG. 1 is a schematic view illustrating an ink jet recording apparatus of a first embodiment of the present invention
- FIG. 2A is a schematic view illustrating an ink jet recording apparatus of a second embodiment.
- FIG. 2B is a schematic view illustrating an ink jet recording apparatus of a third embodiment;
- FIGS. 3A to 3F are views for explaining an ink jet recording method of the first embodiment
- FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating the ink jet recording method of the first embodiment
- FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an ink jet recording method of the second embodiment
- FIG. 6 is a schematic view illustrating an ink jet recording apparatus of a fourth embodiment
- FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an ink jet recording method of the fourth and fifth embodiments.
- FIG. 8 is a schematic view illustrating an ink jet recording apparatus of the fifth embodiment
- FIG. 9 is a schematic view illustrating an ink jet recording apparatus of a sixth embodiment.
- FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an ink jet recording method of the sixth embodiment
- FIG. 11 is a schematic view illustrating an ink jet recording apparatus of a eighth embodiment.
- FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating an ink jet recording method of an eighth embodiment.
- information such as image and/or text is recorded on the recording surface of the recording medium by using an ink for ink jet recording (referred to hereinbelow simply as “ink”).
- ink for ink jet recording
- the ink includes a colorant and a solvent.
- the colorant is not particularly limited and may be a pigment or a dye. A mixture of a pigment and a dye may be also used as the colorant.
- the solvent is not particularly limited and water, an organic solvent, etc. can be used.
- the pigment is not particularly limited.
- carbon black, an inorganic pigment, or an organic pigment can be used.
- the carbon black include furnace black, lamp black, acetylene black, and channel black.
- the inorganic pigment include titanium oxide, inorganic pigments of iron oxide system, and inorganic pigments of carbon black system.
- organic pigment examples include azo pigments such as azo lake, insoluble azo pigments, condensation azo pigments, and chelate azo pigments, polycycle pigments such as phthalocyanine pigment, perylene and perinone pigments, anthraquinone pigments, quinacridone pigments, dioxazine pigments, thioindigo pigments, isoindolinone pigments, and quinophthalone pigments; dye lake pigments such as basic dye lake pigments and acidic dye lake pigments; nitro pigments; nitroso pigments; aniline black type; and the like.
- Other pigments can be also used, provided that they are dispersible in an aqueous phase. Specific examples of the pigments include C. I.
- Pigment Black 1, 6, and 7 C. I. Pigment Yellow 1, 2, 3, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 55, 73, 74, 75, 83, 93, 94, 95, 97, 98, 114, 128, 129, 138, 150, 151, 154, 180, 185, and 194; C. I. Pigment Orange 31 and 43; C. I. Pigment Red 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 12, 15, 16, 48, 48:1, 53:1, 57, 57:1, 112, 122, 123, 139, 144, 146, 149, 166, 168, 175, 176, 177, 178, 184, 185, 190, 202, 221, 222, 224, and 238; C. I. Pigment Violet 196; C. I. Pigment Blue 1, 2, 3, 15, 15:1, 15:2, 15:3, 15;4, 16, 22, and 60; and C. I. Pigment Green 7 and 36.
- the pigments may include a self-dispersible pigment.
- the self-dispersible pigment is a pigment which can be made dispersible in a solvent, without using a dispersant, owing to the fact that at least one species from among hydrophilic functional groups such as a carboxyl group, a carbonyl group, a hydroxyl group, a sulfone group and salts thereof is introduced into the surfaces of the pigment particles by the chemical bond directly or with any polyvalent group intervening therebetween.
- the self-dispersible pigment is not particularly limited.
- a self-dispersible pigment subjected to surface treatment by methods described, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 8-3498, Published Japanese Translation of PCT International Publication for Patent Application No. 2000-513396, etc. can be used.
- Commercially available self-dispersible pigments may be also used.
- Examples of commercial products include “CAB-O-JET (trade name) 200”, “CAB-O-JET (trade name) 250C”, “CAB-O-JET (trade name) 260M”, “CAB-O-JET (trade name) 270Y”, and “CAB-O-JET (trade name) 300” manufactured by Cabot Specialty Chemicals Co., Ltd.; “BONJET (trade name) BLACK CW-1”, “BONJET (trade name) BLACK CW-2”, “BONJET (trade name) BLACK CW-3”, manufactured by Orient Chemical Industries Ltd.; and “LIOJET (trade name) WD BLACK 002C” manufactured by Toyo Inks and Chemicals Co., Ltd.
- Pigments that can be used as starting materials for the self-dispersible pigments are not particularly limited, and both the inorganic pigments and the organic pigments can be used.
- carbon black such as “MA8” and “MA100” manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Corp. and “Color Black FW200” manufactured by Degussa Co. can be used as an inorganic pigment suitable for conducting the above-described surface treatment.
- the dye is not particularly limited.
- a direct dye, an acidic dye, a basic dye, or a reactive dye may be used.
- Specific examples of the dye include C. I. Direct Black, C. I. Direct Blue, C. I. Direct Red, C. I. Direct Yellow, C. I. Direct Orange, C. I. Direct Violet, C. I. Direct Brown, C. I. Direct Green, C. I. Acid Black, C. I. Acid Blue, C. I. Acid Red, C. I. Acid Yellow, C. I. Acid Orange, C. I. Acid Violet, C. I. Basic Black, C. I. Basic Blue, C. I. Basic Red, C. I. Basic Violet, and C. I. Food Black.
- Examples of the C. I. Direct Black include C. I.
- C. I. Direct Blue examples include C. I. Direct Blue 6, 22, 25, 71, 86, 90, 106, and 199.
- Examples of the C. I. Direct Red include C. I. Direct Red 1, 4, 17, 28, 83, and 227.
- Examples of the C. I. Direct Yellow include C. I. Direct Yellow 12, 24, 26, 86, 98, 132, 142, and 173.
- Examples of the C. I. Direct Orange include C. I. Direct Orange 34, 39, 44, 46, and 60.
- Examples of the C. I. Direct Violet examples of the C. I. Direct Brown include C. I. Direct Brown 109. Examples of the C. I. Direct Brown 109. Examples of the C. I.
- Direct Green include C. I. Direct Green 59.
- Examples of the C. I. Acid Black include C. I. Acid Black 2, 7, 24, 26, 31, 52, 63, 112, and 118.
- Examples of the C. I. Acid Blue include C. I. Acid Blue 9, 22, 40, 59, 93, 102, 104, 117, 120, 167, 229, and 234.
- Examples of the C. I. Acid Red include C. I. Acid Red 1, 6, 32, 37, 51, 52, 80, 85, 87, 92, 94, 115, 180, 256, 289, 315, and 317.
- Examples of the C. I. Acid Yellow include C. I. Acid Yellow 11, 17, 23, 25, 29, 42, 61, and 71.
- Examples of the C. I. Acid Orange include C. I.
- the blending amount (dye ratio) of the dye with respect to the entire amount of the ink is not particularly limited and is, for example, 0.1 wt % to 20 wt %, preferably 1 wt % to 10 wt %, more preferably 2 wt % to 8 wt %.
- the dye may be used individually or in combinations of two or more thereof.
- the ink can further include a humectant (wetting agent) which prevents the ink from drying in a nozzle section of the ink jet head and a penetrant which adjusts the drying rate or speed on the recording medium.
- a humectant wetting agent
- the humectant is not particularly limited and can be a lower alcohol such as methyl alcohol, ethyl alcohol, n-propyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, n-butyl alcohol, sec-butyl alcohol, and tert-butyl alcohol; amides such as dimethylformamide and dimethylacetamide; ketones such as acetone; ketoalcohols such as diacetone alcohol; ethers such as tetrahydrofuran and dioxane; polyhydric alcohols such as a polyalkylene glycol, an alkylene glycol, and glycerin; 2-pyrrolidone; N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone; and 1,3-dimethyl-2-imidazolidinone.
- a lower alcohol such as methyl alcohol, ethyl alcohol, n-propyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, n-butyl alcohol, sec-butyl alcohol, and tert-butyl alcohol
- amides such
- the polyalkylene glycol is not particularly limited and examples thereof include polyethylene glycol and polypropylene glycol.
- the alkylene glycol is not particularly limited and examples thereof include ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, butylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, tripropylene glycol, thiodiglycol, and hexylene glycol.
- polyhydric alcohols such as alkylene glycols and glycerin are preferred.
- the humectant may be used individually or in combinations of two or more thereof.
- the blending ratio of the humectant (humectant ratio) with respect to the entire amount of the ink is not particularly limited and is, for example, 0 wt % to 95 wt %, preferably 5 wt % to 80 wt %, and more particularly 5 wt % to 50 wt %.
- the penetrant is not particularly limited and examples thereof include a glycol ether.
- the glycol ether is not particularly limited and examples thereof include ethylene glycol methyl ether, ethylene glycol ethyl ether, ethylene glycol n-propyl ether, diethylene glycol methyl ether, diethylene glycol ethyl ether, diethylene glycol n-propyl ether, diethylene glycol n-butyl ether, diethylene glycol n-hexyl ether, triethylene glycol methyl ether, triethylene glycol ethyl ether, triethylene glycol n-propyl ether, triethylene glycol n-butyl ether, propylene glycol methyl ether, propylene glycol ethyl ether, propylene glycol n-propyl ether, propylene glycol n-butyl ether, dipropylene glycol methyl ether, dipropylene glycol ethyl ether, diprop
- the blending amount of the penetrant (penetrant ratio) with respect to the entire amount of the ink is not particularly limited and is, for example, 0 wt % to 20 wt %. By making the penetrant ratio be within this range, the penetration ability of the ink into the recording medium such as recording paper can be further improved.
- the penetrant ratio is preferably 0.1 wt % to 15 wt %, more preferably 0.5 wt % to 10 wt %.
- an ink jet recording apparatus 100 of the present embodiment includes an ink accommodation section (not shown in the figure), an ink jet head 2 , a transporting roller 4 , a nip roller (counter roller) 5 , a recording medium transporting guide 8 , a feed roller 9 , a hopper 7 , and a powder supply blade 6 as the main constituent members.
- the ink jet head 2 in the ink jet recording apparatus 100 is the ink jetting mechanism.
- the hopper 7 and powder supply blade 6 constitute a powder supply mechanism.
- the components, other than the transporting roller 4 and the powder supply mechanism can be made similar to those of the conventional ink jet recording apparatus.
- the length of the paper feed roller 9 is, for example, 220 mm to 230 mm. In a case that an A3 paper is used, the length of the paper feed roller 9 is, for example, 310 mm to 330 mm.
- the ink accommodation section (not shown in the figure) includes the ink for ink jet recording.
- the ink accommodation section include an ink cartridge.
- a conventional well-known body of ink cartridge (ink cartridge body) can be used.
- the ink accommodation section supplies the ink to the ink jet head 2 .
- the ink jet head 2 may be disposed directly below or under the ink accommodation section and may be connected or coupled to the ink accommodation section by a tube or the like.
- the recording medium 1 transported by the paper feed roller 9 passes below the ink jet head 2 , the ink is jetted toward the recording surface of the recording medium 1 .
- an image is recorded on the recording surface of the recording medium 1 .
- the recording medium 1 after recording is guided by the recording medium transporting guide 8 and transported to a space between the transporting roller 4 and the nip roller 5 .
- the above-described ink for ink jet recording can be used as the ink.
- a water-base pigment ink in which a pigment is used as a colorant and water is mainly used as the solvent the pigment easily remains on the surface of the recording medium and the water serving as a solvent is difficult to evaporate. As a result, the drying rate is low.
- a water-base pigment ink can be also used in the present embodiment.
- the ink jet recording apparatus of the present embodiment may be a serial-type ink jet recording apparatus using a serial-type ink jet head, but the ink jet recording apparatus is preferably a line-type ink jet recording apparatus using a line-type ink jet head.
- the recording is performed, while the ink jet head itself moves in the width direction of the recording surface of the recording medium.
- the line-type ink jet recording apparatus includes a line-type ink jet head having a recording width that is not less than the width of the recording medium, and is capable of performing recording in the width direction of the recording medium wholly or in one cycle in a state that the ink jet head is fixed. Because the recording width that can be recorded at the same time is large in the line-type ink jet recording apparatus, the recording speed is much higher than in the serial-type ink jet recording apparatus.
- the transporting roller 4 and nip roller 5 are disposed side by side at the downstream of the recording medium transporting guide 8 in the recording medium transporting direction X perpendicularly to the recording medium transporting direction X so that the transporting roller 4 is at the side of the recording surface of the recording medium 1 .
- the recording medium 1 is transported in a state that the powder 3 is interposed or intervened between the recording surface of the recording medium 1 and the surface of the transporting roller 4 .
- the material of the powder 3 is not particularly limited, provided it does not dissolve in the ink solvent.
- a lyophilic powder a hydrophilic powder in a case that an water-base ink is used
- the ink that has not dried on the recording surface is absorbed, thereby efficiently inhibiting image transfer from the recording surface of the recording medium to the transporting roller 4 .
- a highly absorbing powder which has high ability to absorb liquids can be used as the powder 3 to increase the amount of absorbed ink.
- Examples of the lyophilic powder (hydrophilic powder) suitable as the powder 3 include acrylic particles, divinylbenzene polymer particles, glass particles, polystyrene particles, polymethyl methacrylate particles polypropylene particles, styrene-acryl copolymer particles, edible starch, wheat flour, etc.; examples of the powder having high ability to absorb liquids (powder having high ability to absorb water) include fine particles of water absorbing polymer, etc.; examples of porous particle include inorganic oxides such as talc, silica gel, alumina (aluminium oxide), titanium oxide, zinc oxide, etc.; and examples of the liquid-repelling powder (water-repelling powder) include fine particles of fluoropolymer, etc.
- the powder 3 of one kind may be used, or the powders of two or more kinds may be used together.
- the average particle size of the powder 3 is preferably not less than 10 ⁇ m, more preferably not less than 15 ⁇ m, even more preferably 15 ⁇ m to 50 ⁇ m, and even more preferably 18 ⁇ m to 50 ⁇ m.
- the average particle size is not less than 10 ⁇ m, the contact surface area of the recording medium 1 and transporting roller 4 is effectively reduced.
- the average particle size is not more than 50 ⁇ m, the powder 3 easily adheres to the transporting roller 4 and contact tracks of the powder 3 hardly remain on the recording medium 1 .
- Examples of the average particle size include a number-average particle size, a weight-average particle size, and a volume-average particle size.
- average particle size can be represented by a mesh size of a test sieve measured by a sieving method, a Stokes equivalent diameter determined by a precipitation method, an equivalent circle diameter determined by microscopy, a sphere equivalent value determined by a light scattering method, and a sphere equivalent value determined by an electric resistance test method (Coulter counter).
- the powder was observed by using a microscope under a magnification of 50-500, a scale was used to measure the particle size of each of 100 pieces of the particles, and the average particle size was calculated.
- the amount of the powder 3 that adheres to the surface of the transporting roller 4 is not particularly limited. It is preferred that the powder 3 adheres to the entire surface of the transporting roller 4 , but the present embodiment is not limited to this, and it is allowable that the powder 3 does not adhere to part of the surface of the transporting roller 4 , provided that the recording medium 1 can be transported in a state that the powder 3 is intervened or interposed between the recording surface of the recording medium 1 and the surface of the transporting roller 4 . Note that as will be described below in the sixth embodiment, the amount of the powder 3 adhering to the surface of the transporting roller 4 may be appropriately adjusted based on the type of the powder, the type of the recording medium 1 , the type of the ink, etc.
- the transporting roller 4 is rotated as shown by the arrow “b”, thereby causing the powder 3 to movably adhere to the surface of the transporting roller 4 (step S 3 ).
- step S 4 the supply of the powder 3 from the hopper 7 and the rotation of the transporting roller 4 are stopped (step S 4 ).
- the recording medium 1 which has been fed from the paper feed section (not shown in the figure) to the side of the recording medium transporting guide 8 is transported at a position below or under the paper feed roller 9 .
- the paper feed roller 9 is then rotated as shown by the arrow “d”, thereby transporting the recording medium 1 to be below the ink jet head 2 (step S 5 ).
- step S 6 when the recording medium 1 passes below the ink jet head 2 , the ink is jetted toward the recording surface of the recording medium 1 . As a result, an image is recorded on the recording surface of the recording medium 1 (step S 6 ).
- the recording medium 1 on which the image has been recorded is guided by the recording medium transporting guide 8 and is transported between the transporting roller 4 and the nip roller 5 .
- the recording medium 1 after recording is transported in a state that the powder 3 is intervened between the recording surface of the recording medium 1 and the surface of the transporting roller 4 (step S 7 ).
- a part of the powder 3 supplied to the transporting roller 4 moves to the recording surface of the recording medium 1 .
- the powder 3 is caused to adhere in the movable state to the surface of the transporting roller 4 , thereby making it possible to transport the recording medium after recording in a state that the powder 3 is intervened between the recording surface of the recording medium 1 and the surface of the transporting roller 4 . Because the powder 3 moves freely by rotation or the like over the surface of the transporting roller 4 , when the transporting roller transports the following recording medium, a portion of the surface of the powder 3 , the portion being is different from another portion of the powder 3 which has come into contact with the surface of the previous recording medium (the another portion of the surface of the powder 3 which might be dirtied or stained) comes into contact with the recording surface of the following recording medium. This inhibits the image transfer from the recording surface of the recording medium 1 to the transporting roller 4 and the retransfer of the image from the transporting roller 4 to the recording surface of the following recording medium 1 , and enhances the recording quality.
- the ink jet recording apparatus and ink jet recording method of the present embodiment for example even in a case that a water-base pigment ink with a low drying speed is used and even in a case of high-speed recording using the line-type ink jet head as the ink jetting mechanism, it is possible to advantageously prevent or suppress the image transfer from the recording surface of the recording medium 1 to the transporting roller 4 and the retransfer of the image from the transporting roller 4 to the recording surface of the following recording medium 1 , and to provide excellent recording quality.
- the recording medium 1 when the recording medium 1 is transported by the transporting roller 4 , a part of the powder 3 supplied to the transporting roller 4 moves to the recording surface of the recording medium 1 . Since the following recording medium is stacked on the recording surface to which the powder 3 has adhered, the powder 3 is intervened between the two sheets of recording medium. As a result, it is possible to prevent the image transfer to the following recording medium (the so-called back transfer) and the sticking of the two sheets of recording medium together.
- an ink jet recording apparatus 200 of the present embodiment is provided with a powder removal blade 10 .
- the powder removal blade 10 is disposed downstream, in the recording medium transporting direction X (left side in FIG. 2A ), of a contact point at which the recording surface of the recording medium 1 and the transporting roller 4 come into contact, and the powder removal blade 6 comes into contact with the transporting roller so as not to hinder or prevent the rotation of the transporting roller 4 .
- the powder removal blade 10 is attached, for example, to a rotary support shaft of the transporting roller 4 or a body of the ink jet recording apparatus 200 .
- the remaining constructive features of the ink jet recording apparatus 200 of the second embodiment are similar to those of the ink jet recording apparatus 100 of the first embodiment.
- step S 3 after the powder 3 is made to adhere in the movable state to the surface of the transporting roller 4 (step S 3 ), the supply of the powder 3 from the hopper 7 and the rotation of the transporting roller 4 are stopped (step S 4 ), but in the second embodiment, the supply of the powder 3 from the hopper 7 and the rotation of the transporting roller 4 are continued without being stopped (step S 4 is not implemented). Therefore, the new powder is always supplied to the transporting roller 4 in parallel with the process of removing the powder 3 from the surface of the transporting roller 4 with the powder removal blade 10 .
- the recording medium 1 which is fed from a paper feeder (not shown in the figure) to the recording medium transporting guide 8 , is transported to a position below the paper feed roller 9 (step S 5 ); the ink is jetted toward the recording surface of the recording medium 1 to record an image (step S 6 ); then the transporting roller 4 and nip roller 5 are rotated to transport the recording medium 1 in a state that the powder 3 is intervened between the recording surface of the recording medium 1 and the surface of the transporting roller 4 (step S 7 ).
- the powder 3 that has once come into contact with the recording medium 1 is removed from the transporting roller 4 by the powder removal blade 10 , and the new powder 3 is supplied to the transporting roller 4 at all times. Therefore, the powder 3 which comes into contact with the recording medium 1 is a new powder at all times. As a result, the retransfer of image from the transporting roller 4 to the recording surface of the following recording medium 1 is inhibited and recording quality is improved.
- the present embodiment is an example in which a powder supply mechanism is different from that of the first embodiment.
- a powder supply guide plate 6 a and a sponge 6 b are provided as the powder supply mechanism, instead of the powder supply blade 6 .
- the powder supply guide plate 6 a is inclined at a portion of the powder supply guide plate 6 a below the hopper 7 , toward the downstream side (left side in FIG. 2B ) in the recording medium transporting direction X.
- the sponge 6 b is disposed in the vicinity of the upstream side (right side in FIG. 2B ), in the recording medium transporting direction X, of the transporting roller 4 .
- the remaining constructive features of the ink jet recording apparatus 300 of the third embodiment are similar to those of the ink jet recording apparatus 100 of the first embodiment.
- the ink jet recording method of the present embodiment is implemented similarly to that of the first embodiment illustrated by FIG. 4 . Since the sponge 6 b of the present embodiment has excellent flexibility, the powder can be caused to adhere easily and uniformly to the surface of the transporting roller 4 , even without accurate control of the distance to the transporting roller 4 . Further, even if the sponge is pressed against the transporting roller 4 , the surface of the transporting roller 4 is not damaged.
- Examples of the chargeable powder include acrylic polymer particles, divinylbenzene polymer particles, polystyrene particles, polymethyl methacrylate particles, polypropylene particles, styrene-acryl copolymer particles, etc., but a charge control agent such as azine compound, quaternary ammonium salt, azo-containing metal compound, salicylic acid compound, styrene-acryl copolymer, etc. may be also added.
- a well-known method that is generally used, for example, in laser printers, etc. can be used to apply a voltage to the rollers.
- the remaining constructive features of the ink jet recording apparatus 400 are similar to those of the ink jet recording apparatus 100 of the first embodiment.
- step S 4 the supply of the powder 3 and the rotation of the transporting roller 4 are stopped (step S 4 ), the recording medium 1 is transported to a position below the ink jet head 2 (step S 5 ), and the ink is jetted toward the recording surface of the recording medium 1 (step S 6 ).
- the recording medium 1 on which an image has been recorded is transported along the recording medium transporting guide 8 , to be between the transporting roller 4 and the nip roller 5 .
- a voltage of a polarity different from that of the powder 3 is applied to the nip roller 5 by the voltage application mechanism (step S 61 ).
- the powder 3 is charged negatively, a positive voltage is applied to the nip roller 5 .
- the powder 1 is actively applied to the recording surface of the recording medium 1 , thereby effectively preventing the back transfer to the following recording medium and also preventing the sheets of recording medium after recording from sticking together.
- the present embodiment is an example in which the powder 3 that adhered to the transporting roller 4 is prevented or inhibited from moving to the recording medium 3 .
- an ink jet recording apparatus 400 of the fifth embodiment shown in FIG. 8 is provided with a voltage application mechanism (not shown in the figure) which is capable of applying a voltage to the transporting roller 4 or nip roller 5 .
- an electrically chargeable powder is used as the powder 3 .
- the ink jet recording method of the fifth embodiment will be explained below with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8 .
- the fifth embodiment is implemented similarly to the fourth embodiment, except that a voltage of a polarity different from that of the powder 3 is applied to transporting roller 4 by the voltage application mechanism in step S 61 .
- a positive voltage is applied to the transporting roller 4 .
- the transporting roller 4 and nip roller 5 are rotated in the opposite directions as shown by arrows “b” and “c”, thereby transporting the recording medium 1 on which an image has been recorded in a state in which the powder 3 is intervened between the recording surface of the recording medium 1 and the surface of the transporting roller 4 (step S 7 ).
- the negatively charged powder 3 is held on the surface of the transporting roller 4 charged by a positive voltage, and the powder is thereby prevented from adhering to the surface of the recording medium 1 .
- the powder 3 in response to such needs, can be prevented from adhering to the recording medium 1 .
- the present embodiment is an example in which the amount (adhering amount) of the powder 3 adhered to the transporting roller 4 is controlled.
- an ink jet recording apparatus 500 of the present embodiment is provided with an actuator (not shown in the figure) which moves the powder supply blade 6 in order to control the distance (gap width) between the powder supply blade 6 and the transporting roller 4 .
- a well-known actuator such as a piezoelectric actuator can be used as the actuator.
- the actuator widens the gap by moving the powder supply blade 6 in a direction of arrow “e” shown in FIG. 9 ; and contrary to this, narrows the gap by moving the powder removal blade 10 in a direction of arrow “f′.
- the remaining constructive features of the ink jet recording apparatus 500 of the sixth embodiment are similar to those of the ink jet recording apparatus 100 of the first embodiment.
- the ink jet recording method of the present embodiment will be explained below with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10 .
- the ink jet recording method of the sixth embodiment is implemented similarly to the first embodiment, except that the powder 3 is supplied by moving the powder supply blade 6 with the actuator and adjusting the gap width (step S 21 ) in the step of supplying the powder 3 to the transporting roller 4 .
- the powder removal blade 10 is moved in the direction of arrow “e” shown in FIG. 9 so as to widen the gap, thereby increasing the amount of the powder 3 adhering to the transporting roller 4 .
- the image transfer from the recording surface of the recording medium 1 to the transporting roller 4 and the image retransfer from the transporting roller 4 to the recording surface of the following recording medium 1 are inhibited and recording quality is increased.
- the amount of the powder 3 moving from the transporting roller 4 to the recording medium 1 is also increases, and the back transfer to the following recording medium and the sticking of the recording medium sheets to each other after recording can be effectively prevented.
- the present embodiment is an example in which porous particles are used for the powder 3 .
- the ink jet recording apparatus of the seventh embodiment is similar to the ink jet recording apparatus 100 of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1 , except that porous particles are used for the powder 3 .
- the ink jet recording method of the seventh embodiment is implemented similarly to the ink jet recording method of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 4 .
- Colorless silica gel and alumina can be used as porous particles.
- the usage of porous particles as the powder 3 increases the ink absorption ability of the powder 3 .
- the present embodiment is an example provided with a recycle system for the powder 3 which recovers the powder 3 adhered to the transporting roller 4 from the transporting roller 4 and which supplies the recovered power 3 again to the transporting roller 4 .
- an ink jet recording apparatus 600 of the eighth embodiment is provided with a powder removal blade 10 , a powder recovery container 11 , and a powder transport mechanism 12 .
- the powder removal blade 10 has a construction similar to that of the second embodiment.
- the powder recovery container 11 is disposed adjacently to a position below the powder removal blade 10 so that the powder 3 recovered from the transporting roller 4 by the powder removal blade 10 can be accommodated in the powder recovery container.
- steps S 1 to S 31 are implemented in the same manner as in the second embodiment; the powder 3 is removed from the surface of the transporting roller 4 by the powder removal blade 10 (step S 31 ); and the removed powder 3 is accommodated in the powder recovery container 11 .
- the powder 3 recovered from the transporting roller 4 is circulated, to be reused by being adhered again to the transporting roller 4 . Therefore, the running cost of ink jet recording can be reduced by comparison with a case that the new powder 3 is supplied at all times, as in the second embodiment. Further, since the powder 3 is circulated, the amount of powder 3 that is moved and rotated at the surface of the transporting roller 4 can be increased. As a result, when the transporting roller again transports the following recording medium, the probability is increased that a portion of the surface of the powder 3 , the portion being different from another portion of the surface of the powder 3 which come into contact with the previous recording medium (another portion having possibility of being dirtied or stained), comes into contact with the recording surface of the following recording medium.
- the eighth embodiment effectively suppresses the image transfer from the recording surface of the recording medium 1 to the transporting roller 4 and the image retransfer from the transporting roller 4 to the recording surface of the following recording medium 1 .
- the powder 3 may be discarded after being recycled for a predetermined period of time. For example, it is allowable that the number of printed sheets of the recording medium 1 , printing time, ink jetting amount, etc. is/are measured; and that when the predetermined values that have been set in advance are reached, the recovered powder 3 may be discarded and the new powder 3 may be supplied to the transporting roller 4 .
- the implementation order of steps in the ink jet recording methods can be changed or a part of the steps may be omitted, if necessary.
- the transporting of the recording medium 1 is started (step S 3 ) after the powder 3 has been supplied to the transporting roller 4 (step S 2 ), but the present invention is not limited to this, and it is allowable to start the supply of the powder 3 to the transporting roller 4 and the transportation of the recording medium 1 at the same time or to start the transportation of the recording medium 1 earlier, provided that the recording medium 1 after recording can be transported in a state that the powder 3 is intervened between the recording surface of the recording medium 1 and the surface of the transporting roller 4 .
- Components of the ink composition (Table 1), other than a self-dispersible pigment “CAB-O-JET (trade name) 300”, were uniformly mixed to obtain an ink solvent.
- the self-dispersible pigment was then gradually added to the ink solvent, followed by being mixed uniformly.
- the mixture thus obtained was then filtrated or filtered through a cellulose acetate membrane filter (pore size 3.00 ⁇ m) manufactured by Toyo Roshi Kaisha Ltd. to obtain Ink 1 .
- Carbon black “MA100” 15 wt %, “DISPERBYK 190” 9 wt %, glycerin 15 wt %, and water 61 wt % were mixed, then dispersion treatment was performed in a wet sand mill using zirconia beads with a diameter of 0.3 mm as a medium to obtain a black pigment dispersion. Then, water 55.4 wt %, glycerin 40.5 wt %, dipropylene glycol n-propyl ether 3 wt %, and “Orfin (trade name) E1010” 1.1 wt % were mixed to obtain an ink solvent.
- the ink solvent 66.7 wt % was then gradually added to the black pigment dispersion 33.3 wt % under stirring and the components were uniformly mixed.
- the mixture thus obtained was then filtrated through a cellulose acetate membrane filter (pore size 3.00 ⁇ m) manufactured by Toyo Roshi Kaisha Ltd. to obtain Ink 2 .
- the ink composition of the Ink 2 is shown in Table 1.
- the components of the ink composition (Table 1), other than a self-dispersible pigment “CAB-O-JET (trade name) 260M” were uniformly mixed to obtain an ink solvent.
- the self-dispersible pigment was then gradually added to the ink solvent, followed being uniformly mixed.
- the mixture thus obtained was then filtrated through a cellulose acetate membrane filter (pore size 3.00 ⁇ m) manufactured by Toyo Roshi Kaisha Ltd. to obtain Ink 3 .
- An image was recorded on the recording surface of a recording medium 1 (LaserPrint 241b, manufactured by Hammennill) according to the recording method shown in FIG. 4 by using the ink jet recording apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 1 .
- the image was recorded by using the Ink 1 on a central portion located 44 mm downstream of the leading end of the recording medium 1 in the recording medium transporting direction X, under the following conditions: recording surface area: 22 mm (length) ⁇ 22 mm (width), recording density: 100%.
- the shape, size, and operation conditions of the structural components of the ink jet recording apparatus 100 are described below.
- Ink jet head 2 the water-base ink of 21 pL per 1 dot was jetted at 600 dpi.
- Powder 3 acrylic particles (particle size 18 ⁇ m, manufactured by Toyobo Co., Ltd.; TAFTIC (trade name) AR650S).
- Transporting roller 4 a roller with a diameter of 13 mm in which a rubber cylinder is molded around a metal core and convex portions and concave portions are provided on the surface to cause the adhesion of the powder 3 .
- the revolution speed 1390 rpm.
- Paper feed roller 9 a roller with a diameter of 13 mm in which a rubber cylinder is molded around a metal core.
- the revolution speed 1390 rpm.
- Example 2 An image was recorded in the same manner as in Example 1, except that divinylbenzene polymer particles (particle size 30 ⁇ m; manufactured by Sekisui Chemical Co., Ltd.; MICROPEARL (trade name) GS-230) was used as the powder 3 .
- divinylbenzene polymer particles particle size 30 ⁇ m; manufactured by Sekisui Chemical Co., Ltd.; MICROPEARL (trade name) GS-230
- Example 2 An image was recorded in the same manner as in Example 1, except that divinylbenzene polymer particles (particle size 10 ⁇ m; manufactured by Sekisui Chemical Co., Ltd.; MICROPEARL (trade name) SP-210) were used as the powder 3 .
- divinylbenzene polymer particles particle size 10 ⁇ m; manufactured by Sekisui Chemical Co., Ltd.; MICROPEARL (trade name) SP-210) were used as the powder 3 .
- Example 2 An image was recorded in the same manner as in Example 1, except that a baby powder (talc) (particle size: 10 ⁇ m) was used as the powder 3 .
- talc baby powder
- the transfer evaluation was performed by the following method with respect to the examples and comparative examples.
- Image recording on the recording surface of the recording medium 1 was continuously performed on two sheets. Traces (retransfer traces) produced by the retransfer of the image of the first sheet of the recording medium 1 onto the recording surface of the second sheet of recording medium 1 via the transporting roller 4 were visually evaluated. The evaluation criteria are presented below.
- Example 1 Acrylic particles 18 Ink 1 A (manufactured by Toyobo Co., Ltd.; TAFTIC (trade name AR650S)
- Example 2 Divinylbenzene polymer particles 30 Ink 1 A (manufactured by Sekisui Chemical Co., Ltd.; MICROPEARL (trade name) GS- 230)
- Example 3 Glass particles 30 Ink 1 A (manufactured by the Association of Powder Process Industry and Engineering, Japan; Glass Beads GBL-30)
- Example 4 Polystyrene particles 50 Ink 1 A (manufactured by Ganz Chemical Co., Ltd.; GANZ PEARL (trade name) GM-5003)
- Example 5 Acrylic particles 18 Ink 2 A (manufactured by Toyobo Co., Ltd.; TAFTIC (trade name) AR650S)
- Example 6 Divinylbenzene polymer particles 30 Ink 2 A (manufactured by Sekisu)
- Examples 1 to 21 are each the first embodiment in which the recording method illustrated by FIG. 4 is implemented using the ink jet recording apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 1 .
- the surface area of the powder 3 is one of the reasons why good transfer evaluation results were obtained when the average particle size of the powder 3 was not less than 10 ⁇ m, in particular not less than 15 ⁇ m.
- the powder 3 movably adheres to the surface of the transporting roller 4 and rotates, etc., thereby changing the contact surface of the powder 3 contacting with the recording medium 1 .
- the ratio of the surface surface with the possibility of being dirtied or stained
- the transporting roller again transports the following recording medium, the probability is increased that a portion of the surface of the powder, which come into contact with the previous recording medium (another portion of the surface having the possibility of being dirtied or stained) comes into contact with the recording surface of the following recording medium.
- the average particle size of the powder 3 causes no difference in the transfer evaluation results.
- the powder 3 which has once come into contact with the recording medium 1 is removed by the powder removal blade 10 from the transporting roller 4 and the new powder 3 is supplied to the transporting roller 4 at all times. Therefore, the effect is demonstrated regardless of the particle size of the powder.
Abstract
An ink jet recording apparatus which records information on a medium by jetting an ink onto a recording surface of the medium includes an ink accommodation section which accommodates the ink; a head which jets the ink onto the recording surface; a transporting roller which transports the medium on which the information has been recorded; and a powder supply mechanism which supplies a powder to the transporting roller. Image transfer from the recording surface of the medium to the transporting roller and image retransfer from the transporting roller to the recording surface of the following medium are inhibited and which has excellent recording quality.
Description
- The present application claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2008-308011 filed on Dec. 2, 2008, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
- 1. Field of the Invention
- The present invention relates to an ink jet recording apparatus and an ink jet recording method.
- 2. Description of the Related Art
- Ink jet recording apparatuses have been generally used as recording apparatuses capable of high-speed and high-quality recording. In an ink jet recording apparatus, a desired image (information) is recorded by causing the ink jetted or discharged from an ink jetting mechanism to adhere to a recording surface of a recording medium. In the ink jet recording apparatus, an image and/or a letter recorded on the recording surface of the recording medium is transferred, in some cases, to a roller (transporting roller or conveying roller) disposed downstream of the ink jetting mechanism in the transporting direction of the recording medium. When the image is transferred onto the transporting roller, the image is thereafter retransferred onto the recording surface of the following recording medium and image quality is degraded. This problem is especially serious in a case that a water-base ink pigment with a low drying rate or speed is used and/or in a case that high-speed recording is required.
- In order to resolve this problem, a transporting roller has been suggested in which abrasive grains, glass particles, metal particles, etc. are caused to protrude from a surface of the roller and the surface is coated (Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-open Publication No. 5-72844). In such a transporting roller, the protruding particles decrease a contact surface area of the transporting roller surface and the recording surface of the recording medium, thereby reducing the retransfer of the image to the recording surface of the following recording medium.
- However, in the aforementioned transporting roller, the particles are fixedly attached to the transporting roller surface by coating. Therefore, the retransfer of image by the protruding portions of the particles still cannot be prevented or suppressed.
- In a general ink jet recording apparatus, sheets of recording medium on which images have been recorded are stacked so that the following recording medium is placed on the recording surface of the preceding recording medium. In a case that a water-base or aqueous pigment ink is used that has a low drying speed and/or in a case that high-speed recording is performed, the following recording medium is stacked before the recording surface of the preceding recording medium has dried. The resultant problem is that an image is transferred on the back surface of the following recording medium (the so-called back transfer) or sheets of recording medium on which images have been recorded stick to each other.
- Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an ink jet recording apparatus and an ink jet recording method in which image (information) transfer from the recording surface of the recording medium to the transporting roller and image retransfer from the transporting roller to the recording surface of the following recording medium are suppressed or inhibited and which is excellent in the recording quality. Another object of the present invention is to provide an ink jet recording apparatus and an ink jet recording method in which, in a case that the sheets of recording medium are stacked after recording, the transfer of the image onto the following recording medium (the so-called back transfer) is prevented and the sheets of the recording medium are prevented from sticking to each other.
- According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an ink jet recording apparatus which records information on a medium by jetting an ink onto a recording surface of the medium, including: an ink accommodation section which accommodates the ink; a head which jets the ink onto the recording surface; a transporting roller which transports the medium on which the information has been recorded; and a powder supply mechanism which supplies a powder to the transporting roller.
- According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an ink jet recording method, including: recording information on a medium by jetting an ink onto a recording surface of the medium; supplying a powder to a transporting roller which transports the medium on which the information has been recorded; and transporting the medium on which the information has been recorded by the transporting roller to which the powder has been supplied.
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FIG. 1 is a schematic view illustrating an ink jet recording apparatus of a first embodiment of the present invention; -
FIG. 2A is a schematic view illustrating an ink jet recording apparatus of a second embodiment.FIG. 2B is a schematic view illustrating an ink jet recording apparatus of a third embodiment; -
FIGS. 3A to 3F are views for explaining an ink jet recording method of the first embodiment; -
FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating the ink jet recording method of the first embodiment; -
FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an ink jet recording method of the second embodiment; -
FIG. 6 is a schematic view illustrating an ink jet recording apparatus of a fourth embodiment; -
FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an ink jet recording method of the fourth and fifth embodiments; -
FIG. 8 is a schematic view illustrating an ink jet recording apparatus of the fifth embodiment; -
FIG. 9 is a schematic view illustrating an ink jet recording apparatus of a sixth embodiment; -
FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an ink jet recording method of the sixth embodiment; -
FIG. 11 is a schematic view illustrating an ink jet recording apparatus of a eighth embodiment, and -
FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating an ink jet recording method of an eighth embodiment. - Embodiments of the ink jet recording apparatus and ink jet recording method of the present invention will be explained below in greater detail. However, the present invention is not limited to the explanation below.
- In the ink jet recording apparatus and ink jet recording method of the present invention, information such as image and/or text is recorded on the recording surface of the recording medium by using an ink for ink jet recording (referred to hereinbelow simply as “ink”).
- The ink includes a colorant and a solvent. The colorant is not particularly limited and may be a pigment or a dye. A mixture of a pigment and a dye may be also used as the colorant. The solvent is not particularly limited and water, an organic solvent, etc. can be used.
- The pigment is not particularly limited. For example, carbon black, an inorganic pigment, or an organic pigment can be used. Examples of the carbon black include furnace black, lamp black, acetylene black, and channel black. Examples of the inorganic pigment include titanium oxide, inorganic pigments of iron oxide system, and inorganic pigments of carbon black system. Examples of the organic pigment include azo pigments such as azo lake, insoluble azo pigments, condensation azo pigments, and chelate azo pigments, polycycle pigments such as phthalocyanine pigment, perylene and perinone pigments, anthraquinone pigments, quinacridone pigments, dioxazine pigments, thioindigo pigments, isoindolinone pigments, and quinophthalone pigments; dye lake pigments such as basic dye lake pigments and acidic dye lake pigments; nitro pigments; nitroso pigments; aniline black type; and the like. Other pigments can be also used, provided that they are dispersible in an aqueous phase. Specific examples of the pigments include C. I. Pigment Black 1, 6, and 7; C. I. Pigment Yellow 1, 2, 3, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 55, 73, 74, 75, 83, 93, 94, 95, 97, 98, 114, 128, 129, 138, 150, 151, 154, 180, 185, and 194; C. I. Pigment Orange 31 and 43; C. I. Pigment Red 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 12, 15, 16, 48, 48:1, 53:1, 57, 57:1, 112, 122, 123, 139, 144, 146, 149, 166, 168, 175, 176, 177, 178, 184, 185, 190, 202, 221, 222, 224, and 238; C. I. Pigment Violet 196; C. I. Pigment Blue 1, 2, 3, 15, 15:1, 15:2, 15:3, 15;4, 16, 22, and 60; and C. I. Pigment Green 7 and 36.
- The pigments may include a self-dispersible pigment. The self-dispersible pigment is a pigment which can be made dispersible in a solvent, without using a dispersant, owing to the fact that at least one species from among hydrophilic functional groups such as a carboxyl group, a carbonyl group, a hydroxyl group, a sulfone group and salts thereof is introduced into the surfaces of the pigment particles by the chemical bond directly or with any polyvalent group intervening therebetween.
- The self-dispersible pigment is not particularly limited. For example, a self-dispersible pigment subjected to surface treatment by methods described, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 8-3498, Published Japanese Translation of PCT International Publication for Patent Application No. 2000-513396, etc. can be used. Commercially available self-dispersible pigments may be also used. Examples of commercial products include “CAB-O-JET (trade name) 200”, “CAB-O-JET (trade name) 250C”, “CAB-O-JET (trade name) 260M”, “CAB-O-JET (trade name) 270Y”, and “CAB-O-JET (trade name) 300” manufactured by Cabot Specialty Chemicals Co., Ltd.; “BONJET (trade name) BLACK CW-1”, “BONJET (trade name) BLACK CW-2”, “BONJET (trade name) BLACK CW-3”, manufactured by Orient Chemical Industries Ltd.; and “LIOJET (trade name) WD BLACK 002C” manufactured by Toyo Inks and Chemicals Co., Ltd.
- Pigments that can be used as starting materials for the self-dispersible pigments are not particularly limited, and both the inorganic pigments and the organic pigments can be used. For example, carbon black such as “MA8” and “MA100” manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Corp. and “Color Black FW200” manufactured by Degussa Co. can be used as an inorganic pigment suitable for conducting the above-described surface treatment.
- The blending amount or compounded amount of the pigment (pigment ratio) with respect to the total amount of the ink is not particularly limited and can be appropriately determined, for example, according to a desired optical density or chromaticity. The pigment ratio is for example, 0.1 wt % to 20 wt %, preferably 1 wt % to 10 wt %, more preferably 2 wt % to 8 wt %. The pigment of one kind may be used independently, or pigments of two or more kinds may be used together.
- The dye is not particularly limited. For example, a direct dye, an acidic dye, a basic dye, or a reactive dye may be used. Specific examples of the dye include C. I. Direct Black, C. I. Direct Blue, C. I. Direct Red, C. I. Direct Yellow, C. I. Direct Orange, C. I. Direct Violet, C. I. Direct Brown, C. I. Direct Green, C. I. Acid Black, C. I. Acid Blue, C. I. Acid Red, C. I. Acid Yellow, C. I. Acid Orange, C. I. Acid Violet, C. I. Basic Black, C. I. Basic Blue, C. I. Basic Red, C. I. Basic Violet, and C. I. Food Black. Examples of the C. I. Direct Black include C. I. Direct Black 17, 19, 32, 51, 71, 108, 146, 154, and 168. Examples of C. I. Direct Blue include C. I.
Direct Blue 6, 22, 25, 71, 86, 90, 106, and 199. Examples of the C. I. Direct Red include C. I.Direct Red Direct Yellow 12, 24, 26, 86, 98, 132, 142, and 173. Examples of the C. I. Direct Orange include C. I. Direct Orange 34, 39, 44, 46, and 60. Examples of the C. I. Direct Violet include C. I. Direct Violet 47 and 48. Examples of the C. I. Direct Brown include C. I. Direct Brown 109. Examples of the C. I. Direct Green include C. I. Direct Green 59. Examples of the C. I. Acid Black include C. I.Acid Black Acid Blue 9, 22, 40, 59, 93, 102, 104, 117, 120, 167, 229, and 234. Examples of the C. I. Acid Red include C. I.Acid Red Acid Yellow 11, 17, 23, 25, 29, 42, 61, and 71. Examples of the C. I. Acid Orange include C. I.Acid Orange 7 and 19. Examples of the C. I. Acid Violet include C. I. Acid Violet 49. Examples of the C. I. Basic Black include C. I.Basic Black 2. Examples of the C. I. Basic Blue include C. I.Basic Blue Basic Red Basic Violet 7, 14, and 27. Examples of the C. I. Food black include C. I.Food Black - The blending amount (dye ratio) of the dye with respect to the entire amount of the ink is not particularly limited and is, for example, 0.1 wt % to 20 wt %, preferably 1 wt % to 10 wt %, more preferably 2 wt % to 8 wt %. The dye may be used individually or in combinations of two or more thereof.
- Water that is used as the solvent is preferably ion-exchange water or pure water (purified water). The blending amount of the solvent (solvent ratio) with respect to the entire amount of the ink can be appropriately determined based on the desired ink characteristics. The solvent ratio may be, for example, the balance or remainder of the other components.
- As an organic solvent which is used as the solvent, the ink can further include a humectant (wetting agent) which prevents the ink from drying in a nozzle section of the ink jet head and a penetrant which adjusts the drying rate or speed on the recording medium.
- The humectant is not particularly limited and can be a lower alcohol such as methyl alcohol, ethyl alcohol, n-propyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, n-butyl alcohol, sec-butyl alcohol, and tert-butyl alcohol; amides such as dimethylformamide and dimethylacetamide; ketones such as acetone; ketoalcohols such as diacetone alcohol; ethers such as tetrahydrofuran and dioxane; polyhydric alcohols such as a polyalkylene glycol, an alkylene glycol, and glycerin; 2-pyrrolidone; N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone; and 1,3-dimethyl-2-imidazolidinone. The polyalkylene glycol is not particularly limited and examples thereof include polyethylene glycol and polypropylene glycol. The alkylene glycol is not particularly limited and examples thereof include ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, butylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, tripropylene glycol, thiodiglycol, and hexylene glycol. Among them, polyhydric alcohols such as alkylene glycols and glycerin are preferred. The humectant may be used individually or in combinations of two or more thereof.
- The blending ratio of the humectant (humectant ratio) with respect to the entire amount of the ink is not particularly limited and is, for example, 0 wt % to 95 wt %, preferably 5 wt % to 80 wt %, and more particularly 5 wt % to 50 wt %.
- The penetrant is not particularly limited and examples thereof include a glycol ether. The glycol ether is not particularly limited and examples thereof include ethylene glycol methyl ether, ethylene glycol ethyl ether, ethylene glycol n-propyl ether, diethylene glycol methyl ether, diethylene glycol ethyl ether, diethylene glycol n-propyl ether, diethylene glycol n-butyl ether, diethylene glycol n-hexyl ether, triethylene glycol methyl ether, triethylene glycol ethyl ether, triethylene glycol n-propyl ether, triethylene glycol n-butyl ether, propylene glycol methyl ether, propylene glycol ethyl ether, propylene glycol n-propyl ether, propylene glycol n-butyl ether, dipropylene glycol methyl ether, dipropylene glycol ethyl ether, dipropylene glycol n-propyl ether, dipropylene glycol n-butyl ether, tripropylene glycol methyl ether, tripropylene glycol ethyl ether, tripropylene glycol n-propyl ether, and tripropylene glycol n-butyl ether. The penetrant may be used individually or in combinations of two or more thereof
- The blending amount of the penetrant (penetrant ratio) with respect to the entire amount of the ink is not particularly limited and is, for example, 0 wt % to 20 wt %. By making the penetrant ratio be within this range, the penetration ability of the ink into the recording medium such as recording paper can be further improved. The penetrant ratio is preferably 0.1 wt % to 15 wt %, more preferably 0.5 wt % to 10 wt %.
- If necessary, the ink may further contain a conventionally known additive. Examples of the additive include surfactants, viscosity adjusting agents, surface tension adjusting agents, fungicides (antimold agents), etc. Examples of the viscosity adjusting agents include polyvinyl alcohol, cellulose, and water-soluble resins.
- The ink can be prepared, for example, by uniformly or homogeneously mixing the colorant with solvent and, if necessary, other additive component(s) by a conventional well-known method and by removing undissolved matters or insolubles with a filter or the like.
- As shown in
FIG. 1 , an inkjet recording apparatus 100 of the present embodiment includes an ink accommodation section (not shown in the figure), anink jet head 2, a transportingroller 4, a nip roller (counter roller) 5, a recordingmedium transporting guide 8, afeed roller 9, ahopper 7, and apowder supply blade 6 as the main constituent members. Theink jet head 2 in the inkjet recording apparatus 100 is the ink jetting mechanism. Thehopper 7 andpowder supply blade 6 constitute a powder supply mechanism. In the inkjet recording apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, the components, other than the transportingroller 4 and the powder supply mechanism (hopper 7 and powder supply blade 6), can be made similar to those of the conventional ink jet recording apparatus. - Inside the ink
jet recording apparatus 100, a recording medium transporting path is formed in which therecording medium 1 is transported from a paper feed section (not shown in the figure) toward the transportingroller 4 and thenip roller 5 via the recordingmedium transporting guide 8. An arrow X shows a recording medium transporting direction along which therecording medium 1 is transported. The paper feed section (not shown in the figure) is disposed upstream (on the right side inFIG. 1 ) in the recording medium transporting direction X, and therecording medium 1 is fed out toward the recordingmedium transporting guide 8. The fed-outrecording medium 1 is introduced in the recordingmedium transporting guide 8 and transported to a position below or under apaper feed roller 9. - The
paper feed roller 9 is disposed on the upstream side (right side inFIG. 1 ) of theink jet head 2, in the recording medium transporting direction X, and by rotating the roller in a direction shown by an arrow d, therecording medium 1 is transported to the position below theink jet head 2. A conventional well-known roller, for example, such as that obtained by molding a rubber cylinder around a metal core can be used as thepaper feed roller 9. The diameter of thepaper feed roller 9 is not particularly limited and is, for example, 10 mm to 30 mm, preferably 12 mm to 20 mm. The length of thepaper feed roller 9 is also not particularly limited, but it is preferred that the length is slightly greater than the width of therecording medium 1. For example, in a case that an A4-sized paper is used as therecording medium 1, the length of thepaper feed roller 9 is, for example, 220 mm to 230 mm. In a case that an A3 paper is used, the length of thepaper feed roller 9 is, for example, 310 mm to 330 mm. - The ink accommodation section (not shown in the figure) includes the ink for ink jet recording. Examples of the ink accommodation section include an ink cartridge. For example, a conventional well-known body of ink cartridge (ink cartridge body) can be used. The ink accommodation section supplies the ink to the
ink jet head 2. Theink jet head 2 may be disposed directly below or under the ink accommodation section and may be connected or coupled to the ink accommodation section by a tube or the like. When therecording medium 1 transported by thepaper feed roller 9 passes below theink jet head 2, the ink is jetted toward the recording surface of therecording medium 1. As a result, an image is recorded on the recording surface of therecording medium 1. Therecording medium 1 after recording is guided by the recordingmedium transporting guide 8 and transported to a space between the transportingroller 4 and thenip roller 5. - The above-described ink for ink jet recording can be used as the ink. With a water-base pigment ink in which a pigment is used as a colorant and water is mainly used as the solvent, the pigment easily remains on the surface of the recording medium and the water serving as a solvent is difficult to evaporate. As a result, the drying rate is low. However, such a water-base pigment ink can be also used in the present embodiment.
- A well-known ink jet head can be used as the
ink jet head 2. The ink jet recording apparatus of the present embodiment may be a serial-type ink jet recording apparatus using a serial-type ink jet head, but the ink jet recording apparatus is preferably a line-type ink jet recording apparatus using a line-type ink jet head. In the serial-type ink jet recording apparatus, the recording is performed, while the ink jet head itself moves in the width direction of the recording surface of the recording medium. On the other hand, the line-type ink jet recording apparatus includes a line-type ink jet head having a recording width that is not less than the width of the recording medium, and is capable of performing recording in the width direction of the recording medium wholly or in one cycle in a state that the ink jet head is fixed. Because the recording width that can be recorded at the same time is large in the line-type ink jet recording apparatus, the recording speed is much higher than in the serial-type ink jet recording apparatus. - The powder supply mechanism constructed of the
hopper 7 and thepowder supply blade 6 is disposed between theink jet head 2 and the transportingroller 4. Thehopper 7 is filled with apowder 3. Thepowder supply blade 6 has a substantially L-like shape which is inclined at a portion of theblade 6 located below thehopper 7 toward the downstream side (left side inFIG. 1 ) in the recording medium transporting direction X, then is bent at a portion of theblade 6 above the left end of the recordingmedium transporting guide 8 and is extended to the vicinity of the left upper end of the recordingmedium transporting guide 8 perpendicularly to the recording medium transporting direction X. Thepowder supply blade 6 has a width in a perpendicular direction which is perpendicular to the sheet surface ofFIG. 1 , and the width is substantially same as a width of the transportingroller 4 in the perpendicular direction. The material of thepowder supply blade 6 is not particularly limited and can be, for example, a resin or a metal. - The
powder 3 filled or loaded into thehopper 7 falls down to the side of the right end of thepowder supply blade 6, as shown by an arrow “a”, then flows down along the inclination of thepowder supply blade 6, and is supplied to the right upper portion of the transportingroller 4. By the rotation of the transportingroller 4 as shown by an arrow “b”, thepowder 3 is adhered to the surface of the transportingroller 4 in a state that thepowder 3 is movable (is movably adhered). The construction of the powder supply mechanism is not limited to that shown inFIG. 1 , and any construction may be used provided that thepowder 3 can be caused to movably adhere to the surface of the transportingroller 4. For example, the powder supply mechanism preferably includes thepowder supply blade 6 to enable uniform adhesion of thepowder 3 to the surface of the transportingroller 4, but such a construction is not limiting, and the powder supply mechanism may be constructed only by thehopper 7. - The term “movable state” means a state in which the
powder 3 is caused to adhere to the surface of the transportingroller 4, for example, by an electrostatic force or a week adhesive force, without being fixedly attached to the surface. In the “movable state”, thepowder 3 freely moves by rotation or the like over the surface of the transportingroller 4 and thepowder 3 is freely removed from the surface of the transportingroller 4. - The transporting
roller 4 and niproller 5 are disposed side by side at the downstream of the recordingmedium transporting guide 8 in the recording medium transporting direction X perpendicularly to the recording medium transporting direction X so that the transportingroller 4 is at the side of the recording surface of therecording medium 1. By the rotation of the transportingroller 4 and thenip roller 5 in the opposite directions, as shown by the arrows “b” and “c”, therecording medium 1 is transported in a state that thepowder 3 is interposed or intervened between the recording surface of therecording medium 1 and the surface of the transportingroller 4. A roller obtained by molding a rubber cylinder around a metal core and having concave portions and convex portions (irregularities) on the surface thereof for the purpose of facilitating the adhesion of thepowder 3 is preferred, but such a construction is not limiting and any roller may be used provided that thepowder 3 can be caused to adhere thereto. A conventional well-known roller, for example, such that is obtained by molding a rubber cylinder around a metal core can be used as thenip roller 5. The size of the transportingroller 4 and thenip roller 5 are similar to that of thepaper feed roller 9. - The material of the
powder 3 is not particularly limited, provided it does not dissolve in the ink solvent. For example, in a case that a lyophilic powder (a hydrophilic powder in a case that an water-base ink is used) is used, when thepowder 3 that has adhered to the transportingroller 4 comes into contact with the recording surface of therecording medium 1, the ink that has not dried on the recording surface is absorbed, thereby efficiently inhibiting image transfer from the recording surface of the recording medium to the transportingroller 4. A highly absorbing powder which has high ability to absorb liquids (a powder having high water absorption ability in a case that a water-base ink is used) can be used as thepowder 3 to increase the amount of absorbed ink. On the other hand, a liquid-repelling powder (a water-repelling powder in a case that a water-base ink is used) can be also used as thepowder 3. A part or portion of thepowder 3 supplied to the transportingroller 4 moves to the recording surface of therecording medium 1. By providing the powder, in a case that the sheets of the recording medium are stacked after the recording has been completed, it is possible to effectively prevent the transfer of image to the following recording medium (the so-called back transfer) and sticking of the sheets of recording medium to each other. - Examples of the lyophilic powder (hydrophilic powder) suitable as the
powder 3 include acrylic particles, divinylbenzene polymer particles, glass particles, polystyrene particles, polymethyl methacrylate particles polypropylene particles, styrene-acryl copolymer particles, edible starch, wheat flour, etc.; examples of the powder having high ability to absorb liquids (powder having high ability to absorb water) include fine particles of water absorbing polymer, etc.; examples of porous particle include inorganic oxides such as talc, silica gel, alumina (aluminium oxide), titanium oxide, zinc oxide, etc.; and examples of the liquid-repelling powder (water-repelling powder) include fine particles of fluoropolymer, etc. Thepowder 3 of one kind may be used, or the powders of two or more kinds may be used together. - The average particle size of the
powder 3 is preferably not less than 10 μm, more preferably not less than 15 μm, even more preferably 15 μm to 50 μm, and even more preferably 18 μm to 50 μm. In a case that the average particle size is not less than 10 μm, the contact surface area of therecording medium 1 and transportingroller 4 is effectively reduced. In a case that the average particle size is not more than 50 μm, thepowder 3 easily adheres to the transportingroller 4 and contact tracks of thepowder 3 hardly remain on therecording medium 1. Examples of the average particle size include a number-average particle size, a weight-average particle size, and a volume-average particle size. For example average particle size can be represented by a mesh size of a test sieve measured by a sieving method, a Stokes equivalent diameter determined by a precipitation method, an equivalent circle diameter determined by microscopy, a sphere equivalent value determined by a light scattering method, and a sphere equivalent value determined by an electric resistance test method (Coulter counter). In the present embodiment, the powder was observed by using a microscope under a magnification of 50-500, a scale was used to measure the particle size of each of 100 pieces of the particles, and the average particle size was calculated. - It is preferred that the
powder supply blade 6 be pressed against the surface of the transportingroller 4 before the powder is supplied, but the powder supply blade may be also separated from the transporting roller, provided that thepowder 3 can movably adhere to the surface of the transportingroller 4. For example, thepowder supply blade 6 and the surface of the transportingroller 4 may be separated by a distance which is substantially equal to the average particle size of thepowder 3 or by a distance which is slightly smaller than the average particle size. The pressing force acting between thepowder supply blade 6 and the surface of the transportingroller 4 in a case that thepowder supply blade 6 and the surface of the transportingroller 4 are pressed against each other is not particularly limited provided that thepowder 3 can movably adhere to the surface of the transportingroller 4. As will be described below in the sixth embodiment, the distance between the surface of thepowder supply blade 6 and the surface of the transportingroller 4 may be appropriately adjusted based on the type of the powder, the type of therecording medium 1, the type of the ink, etc. - The amount of the
powder 3 that adheres to the surface of the transportingroller 4 is not particularly limited. It is preferred that thepowder 3 adheres to the entire surface of the transportingroller 4, but the present embodiment is not limited to this, and it is allowable that thepowder 3 does not adhere to part of the surface of the transportingroller 4, provided that therecording medium 1 can be transported in a state that thepowder 3 is intervened or interposed between the recording surface of therecording medium 1 and the surface of the transportingroller 4. Note that as will be described below in the sixth embodiment, the amount of thepowder 3 adhering to the surface of the transportingroller 4 may be appropriately adjusted based on the type of the powder, the type of therecording medium 1, the type of the ink, etc. - The ink jet recording method using the ink
jet recording apparatus 100 will be explained below with reference toFIGS. 3 and 4 . First, as a preparation for recoding, thehopper 7 is filled with the powder 3 (FIG. 3A , step S1). - Then, as shown in
FIG. 3B , thepowder 3 is supplied from thehopper 7 to the right upper portion of the transportingroller 4 via the powder supply blade 6 (step S2). - Then, as shown in
FIG. 3C , the transportingroller 4 is rotated as shown by the arrow “b”, thereby causing thepowder 3 to movably adhere to the surface of the transporting roller 4 (step S3). - Then, as shown in
FIG. 3D , the supply of thepowder 3 from thehopper 7 and the rotation of the transportingroller 4 are stopped (step S4). Therecording medium 1 which has been fed from the paper feed section (not shown in the figure) to the side of the recordingmedium transporting guide 8 is transported at a position below or under thepaper feed roller 9. Here, thepaper feed roller 9 is then rotated as shown by the arrow “d”, thereby transporting therecording medium 1 to be below the ink jet head 2 (step S5). - Then, as shown in
FIG. 3E , when therecording medium 1 passes below theink jet head 2, the ink is jetted toward the recording surface of therecording medium 1. As a result, an image is recorded on the recording surface of the recording medium 1 (step S6). - Then, as shown in
FIG. 3F , therecording medium 1 on which the image has been recorded is guided by the recordingmedium transporting guide 8 and is transported between the transportingroller 4 and thenip roller 5. Then, by rotating the transportingroller 4 and thenip roller 5 in the opposite directions, as shown by the arrows “b” and “c”, therecording medium 1 after recording is transported in a state that thepowder 3 is intervened between the recording surface of therecording medium 1 and the surface of the transporting roller 4 (step S7). At this time, a part of thepowder 3 supplied to the transportingroller 4 moves to the recording surface of therecording medium 1. - In the ink jet recording apparatus and ink jet recording method of the present embodiment, the
powder 3 is caused to adhere in the movable state to the surface of the transportingroller 4, thereby making it possible to transport the recording medium after recording in a state that thepowder 3 is intervened between the recording surface of therecording medium 1 and the surface of the transportingroller 4. Because thepowder 3 moves freely by rotation or the like over the surface of the transportingroller 4, when the transporting roller transports the following recording medium, a portion of the surface of thepowder 3, the portion being is different from another portion of thepowder 3 which has come into contact with the surface of the previous recording medium (the another portion of the surface of thepowder 3 which might be dirtied or stained) comes into contact with the recording surface of the following recording medium. This inhibits the image transfer from the recording surface of therecording medium 1 to the transportingroller 4 and the retransfer of the image from the transportingroller 4 to the recording surface of the followingrecording medium 1, and enhances the recording quality. - According to the ink jet recording apparatus and ink jet recording method of the present embodiment, for example even in a case that a water-base pigment ink with a low drying speed is used and even in a case of high-speed recording using the line-type ink jet head as the ink jetting mechanism, it is possible to advantageously prevent or suppress the image transfer from the recording surface of the
recording medium 1 to the transportingroller 4 and the retransfer of the image from the transportingroller 4 to the recording surface of the followingrecording medium 1, and to provide excellent recording quality. - Further, in the present embodiment, when the
recording medium 1 is transported by the transportingroller 4, a part of thepowder 3 supplied to the transportingroller 4 moves to the recording surface of therecording medium 1. Since the following recording medium is stacked on the recording surface to which thepowder 3 has adhered, thepowder 3 is intervened between the two sheets of recording medium. As a result, it is possible to prevent the image transfer to the following recording medium (the so-called back transfer) and the sticking of the two sheets of recording medium together. - This embodiment is an example provided with a mechanism which recovers, from the transporting
roller 4, thepowder 3 adhered to the transportingroller 4. As shown inFIG. 2A , an inkjet recording apparatus 200 of the present embodiment is provided with apowder removal blade 10. Thepowder removal blade 10 is disposed downstream, in the recording medium transporting direction X (left side inFIG. 2A ), of a contact point at which the recording surface of therecording medium 1 and the transportingroller 4 come into contact, and thepowder removal blade 6 comes into contact with the transporting roller so as not to hinder or prevent the rotation of the transportingroller 4. Thepowder removal blade 10 is attached, for example, to a rotary support shaft of the transportingroller 4 or a body of the inkjet recording apparatus 200. Other than above, the remaining constructive features of the inkjet recording apparatus 200 of the second embodiment are similar to those of the inkjet recording apparatus 100 of the first embodiment. - The ink jet recording method of the present embodiment will be described below with reference to
FIG. 5 . In the second embodiment, steps Si to S3 are executed or implemented in the same manner as in the first embodiment, and after thepowder 3 is made to adhered in the movable state to the surface of the transporting roller 4 (step S3), thepowder 3 is removed from the surface of the transportingroller 4 by the powder removal blade 10 (step S31). Specifically, the transportingroller 4 is continuously rotated in the direction shown by arrow “b”, and thepowder 3 adhering to the surface of the transportingroller 4 is brought into contact with thepowder removal blade 10 and is thereby scraped off from the surface of the transportingroller 4. The removedpowder 3 is recovered, for example, in a powder recovery container (not shown in the figure) provided in the vicinity of thepowder removal blade 10. - In the first embodiment, after the
powder 3 is made to adhere in the movable state to the surface of the transporting roller 4 (step S3), the supply of thepowder 3 from thehopper 7 and the rotation of the transportingroller 4 are stopped (step S4), but in the second embodiment, the supply of thepowder 3 from thehopper 7 and the rotation of the transportingroller 4 are continued without being stopped (step S4 is not implemented). Therefore, the new powder is always supplied to the transportingroller 4 in parallel with the process of removing thepowder 3 from the surface of the transportingroller 4 with thepowder removal blade 10. - Then, similarly to the first embodiment, the
recording medium 1, which is fed from a paper feeder (not shown in the figure) to the recordingmedium transporting guide 8, is transported to a position below the paper feed roller 9 (step S5); the ink is jetted toward the recording surface of therecording medium 1 to record an image (step S6); then the transportingroller 4 and niproller 5 are rotated to transport therecording medium 1 in a state that thepowder 3 is intervened between the recording surface of therecording medium 1 and the surface of the transporting roller 4 (step S7). - In the present embodiment, the
powder 3 that has once come into contact with therecording medium 1 is removed from the transportingroller 4 by thepowder removal blade 10, and thenew powder 3 is supplied to the transportingroller 4 at all times. Therefore, thepowder 3 which comes into contact with therecording medium 1 is a new powder at all times. As a result, the retransfer of image from the transportingroller 4 to the recording surface of the followingrecording medium 1 is inhibited and recording quality is improved. - The present embodiment is an example in which a powder supply mechanism is different from that of the first embodiment. As shown in
FIG. 2B , in an inkjet recording apparatus 300 of the present embodiment, a powdersupply guide plate 6 a and asponge 6 b are provided as the powder supply mechanism, instead of thepowder supply blade 6. The powdersupply guide plate 6 a is inclined at a portion of the powdersupply guide plate 6 a below thehopper 7, toward the downstream side (left side inFIG. 2B ) in the recording medium transporting direction X. Thesponge 6 b is disposed in the vicinity of the upstream side (right side inFIG. 2B ), in the recording medium transporting direction X, of the transportingroller 4. Other than above, the remaining constructive features of the inkjet recording apparatus 300 of the third embodiment are similar to those of the inkjet recording apparatus 100 of the first embodiment. - The ink jet recording method of the present embodiment is implemented similarly to that of the first embodiment illustrated by
FIG. 4 . Since thesponge 6 b of the present embodiment has excellent flexibility, the powder can be caused to adhere easily and uniformly to the surface of the transportingroller 4, even without accurate control of the distance to the transportingroller 4. Further, even if the sponge is pressed against the transportingroller 4, the surface of the transportingroller 4 is not damaged. - The present embodiment is an example in which the
powder 3 supplied to the transportingroller 4 is actively moved to therecording medium 1. As shown inFIG. 6 , an inkjet recording apparatus 400 of the present embodiment is further provided with a voltage application mechanism (not shown in the figure) which is capable of applying a voltage to the transportingroller 4 or niproller 5. Further, thenip roller 5 has, on the surface thereof, an electrically conductive substance which can be electrically charged by the voltage applied with the voltage application mechanism. Examples of such a construction of the nip roller include a rubber added with electro-conductive carbon, etc. Further, a chargeable powder is used as thepowder 3. Examples of the chargeable powder include acrylic polymer particles, divinylbenzene polymer particles, polystyrene particles, polymethyl methacrylate particles, polypropylene particles, styrene-acryl copolymer particles, etc., but a charge control agent such as azine compound, quaternary ammonium salt, azo-containing metal compound, salicylic acid compound, styrene-acryl copolymer, etc. may be also added. A well-known method that is generally used, for example, in laser printers, etc. can be used to apply a voltage to the rollers. Other than above, the remaining constructive features of the inkjet recording apparatus 400 are similar to those of the inkjet recording apparatus 100 of the first embodiment. - The ink jet recording method of the present embodiment will be explained with reference to
FIGS. 6 and 7 . Similarly to the first embodiment, thehopper 7 is filled with the powder 3 (step S1). Then, thepowder 3 is supplied to the transportingroller 4 via the powder supply blade 6 (step S2); and thepowder 3 is caused to adhere in the movable state to the surface of the transporting roller 4 (step S3). In the fourth embodiment, when thepowder 3 is supplied to the transporting roller 4 (step S2), thepowder 3 is electrically charged by friction with thepowder supply blade 6, and the electrically chargedpowder 3 is supplied to the transportingroller 4. In the fourth embodiment, thepowder 3 is charged negatively. - Further, similarly to the first embodiment, the supply of the
powder 3 and the rotation of the transportingroller 4 are stopped (step S4), therecording medium 1 is transported to a position below the ink jet head 2 (step S5), and the ink is jetted toward the recording surface of the recording medium 1 (step S6). - Then, the
recording medium 1 on which an image has been recorded is transported along the recordingmedium transporting guide 8, to be between the transportingroller 4 and thenip roller 5. At this time, a voltage of a polarity different from that of thepowder 3 is applied to the niproller 5 by the voltage application mechanism (step S61). In the fourth embodiment, since thepowder 3 is charged negatively, a positive voltage is applied to the niproller 5. Then, by rotating the transportingroller 4 and niproller 5 in the opposite directions as shown by arrows “b” and “c”, therecording medium 1 on which an image has been recorded is transported in a state that thepowder 3 is intervened between the recording surface of therecording medium 1 and the surface of the transporting roller 4 (step S7). The negatively chargedpowder 3 is attracted to the niproller 5 charged by a positive voltage, thereby causing the powder to adhere to therecording medium 1. - In the fourth embodiment, the
powder 1 is actively applied to the recording surface of therecording medium 1, thereby effectively preventing the back transfer to the following recording medium and also preventing the sheets of recording medium after recording from sticking together. - The present embodiment is an example in which the
powder 3 that adhered to the transportingroller 4 is prevented or inhibited from moving to therecording medium 3. Similarly to the ink jet recording apparatus used in the fourth embodiment, an inkjet recording apparatus 400 of the fifth embodiment shown inFIG. 8 is provided with a voltage application mechanism (not shown in the figure) which is capable of applying a voltage to the transportingroller 4 or niproller 5. Further, similarly to the fourth embodiment, an electrically chargeable powder is used as thepowder 3. - The ink jet recording method of the fifth embodiment will be explained below with reference to
FIGS. 7 and 8 . The fifth embodiment is implemented similarly to the fourth embodiment, except that a voltage of a polarity different from that of thepowder 3 is applied to transportingroller 4 by the voltage application mechanism in step S61. In the fifth embodiment, since thepowder 3 is charged negatively, a positive voltage is applied to the transportingroller 4. Similarly to the fourth embodiment, the transportingroller 4 and niproller 5 are rotated in the opposite directions as shown by arrows “b” and “c”, thereby transporting therecording medium 1 on which an image has been recorded in a state in which thepowder 3 is intervened between the recording surface of therecording medium 1 and the surface of the transporting roller 4 (step S7). The negatively chargedpowder 3 is held on the surface of the transportingroller 4 charged by a positive voltage, and the powder is thereby prevented from adhering to the surface of therecording medium 1. - Depending on the application of the printed matter, this is a possibility that the user does not wish the adhesion of the powder to the recording medium, or that in some cases the recording medium has a sufficiently fast drying ability and the application of the powder to the recording surface is unnecessary. In the fifth embodiment, in response to such needs, the
powder 3 can be prevented from adhering to therecording medium 1. - The present embodiment is an example in which the amount (adhering amount) of the
powder 3 adhered to the transportingroller 4 is controlled. As shown inFIG. 9 , an inkjet recording apparatus 500 of the present embodiment is provided with an actuator (not shown in the figure) which moves thepowder supply blade 6 in order to control the distance (gap width) between thepowder supply blade 6 and the transportingroller 4. A well-known actuator such as a piezoelectric actuator can be used as the actuator. The actuator widens the gap by moving thepowder supply blade 6 in a direction of arrow “e” shown inFIG. 9 ; and contrary to this, narrows the gap by moving thepowder removal blade 10 in a direction of arrow “f′. Other than above, the remaining constructive features of the inkjet recording apparatus 500 of the sixth embodiment are similar to those of the inkjet recording apparatus 100 of the first embodiment. - The ink jet recording method of the present embodiment will be explained below with reference to
FIGS. 9 and 10 . The ink jet recording method of the sixth embodiment is implemented similarly to the first embodiment, except that thepowder 3 is supplied by moving thepowder supply blade 6 with the actuator and adjusting the gap width (step S21) in the step of supplying thepowder 3 to the transportingroller 4. For example, in a case that therecording medium 1 has poor drying ability, thepowder removal blade 10 is moved in the direction of arrow “e” shown inFIG. 9 so as to widen the gap, thereby increasing the amount of thepowder 3 adhering to the transportingroller 4. - By increasing the amount of the
powder 3 adhering to the transporting roller, the image transfer from the recording surface of therecording medium 1 to the transportingroller 4 and the image retransfer from the transportingroller 4 to the recording surface of the followingrecording medium 1 are inhibited and recording quality is increased. At the same time, the amount of thepowder 3 moving from the transportingroller 4 to therecording medium 1 is also increases, and the back transfer to the following recording medium and the sticking of the recording medium sheets to each other after recording can be effectively prevented. - The present embodiment is an example in which porous particles are used for the
powder 3. The ink jet recording apparatus of the seventh embodiment is similar to the inkjet recording apparatus 100 of the first embodiment shown inFIG. 1 , except that porous particles are used for thepowder 3. The ink jet recording method of the seventh embodiment is implemented similarly to the ink jet recording method of the first embodiment shown inFIG. 4 . Colorless silica gel and alumina can be used as porous particles. - In the seventh embodiment, the usage of porous particles as the
powder 3 increases the ink absorption ability of thepowder 3. As a result, it is possible to effectively prevent the image transfer from the recording surface of therecording medium 1 to the transportingroller 4 and the image retransfer from the transportingroller 4 to the recording surface of the followingrecording medium 1, thereby increasing the recording quality. Further, it is possible to effectively prevent the back transfer to the following recording medium and the sticking of the recording medium sheets to each other after recording. - The present embodiment is an example provided with a recycle system for the
powder 3 which recovers thepowder 3 adhered to the transportingroller 4 from the transportingroller 4 and which supplies the recoveredpower 3 again to the transportingroller 4. As shown inFIG. 11 , an inkjet recording apparatus 600 of the eighth embodiment is provided with apowder removal blade 10, apowder recovery container 11, and apowder transport mechanism 12. Thepowder removal blade 10 has a construction similar to that of the second embodiment. Thepowder recovery container 11 is disposed adjacently to a position below thepowder removal blade 10 so that thepowder 3 recovered from the transportingroller 4 by thepowder removal blade 10 can be accommodated in the powder recovery container. Thepowder transport mechanism 12 is disposed so as to connect or link thepowder recovery container 11 to thepowder supply blade 6 and to transport thepowder 3 accommodated in thepowder recovery container 11 to thepowder supply blade 6 which serves as the powder supply mechanism. A pipe having a transport spring accommodated therein is used as thepowder transport mechanism 12. By rotating the internal transport spring, it is possible to transport thepowder 3 accommodated in thepowder recovery container 11 to thepowder supply blade 6 along the spring. Other well-known powder transport mechanism can be also used as thepowder transport mechanism 12. Other than above, the remaining constructive features of the inkjet recording apparatus 600 of the eighth embodiment are similar to those of the inkjet recording apparatus 100 of the first embodiment. - The ink jet recording method of the present embodiment will be explained below with reference to
FIG. 12 . In the eighth embodiment, steps S1 to S31 are implemented in the same manner as in the second embodiment; thepowder 3 is removed from the surface of the transportingroller 4 by the powder removal blade 10 (step S31); and the removedpowder 3 is accommodated in thepowder recovery container 11. - Then, the
powder transport mechanism 12 transports the powder accommodated in thepowder recovery container 11 to thepowder supply blade 6 and the recoveredpowder 3 is supplied again to the transport roller 4 (step S32). In such a manner, thepowder 3 is thus circulates among thepowder supply blade 6, transportingroller 4,powder removal blade 10,powder recovery container 11, andpowder transport mechanism 12. - Then, similarly to the first embodiment, the
recording medium 1 fed from the paper feeder (not shown in the figure) to the recordingmedium transport guide 8 is transported to a position below the paper feed roller 9 (step S5); the ink is jetted toward the recording surface of therecording medium 1 to perform recording of an image (S6). Then, the transportingroller 4 and niproller 5 are rotated and therecording medium 1 is transported in a state that thepowder 3 is intervened between the recording surface of the recording medium and the surface of the transporting roller 4 (step S7). - In the present embodiment, the
powder 3 recovered from the transportingroller 4 is circulated, to be reused by being adhered again to the transportingroller 4. Therefore, the running cost of ink jet recording can be reduced by comparison with a case that thenew powder 3 is supplied at all times, as in the second embodiment. Further, since thepowder 3 is circulated, the amount ofpowder 3 that is moved and rotated at the surface of the transportingroller 4 can be increased. As a result, when the transporting roller again transports the following recording medium, the probability is increased that a portion of the surface of thepowder 3, the portion being different from another portion of the surface of thepowder 3 which come into contact with the previous recording medium (another portion having possibility of being dirtied or stained), comes into contact with the recording surface of the following recording medium. The eighth embodiment effectively suppresses the image transfer from the recording surface of therecording medium 1 to the transportingroller 4 and the image retransfer from the transportingroller 4 to the recording surface of the followingrecording medium 1. - In the eighth embodiment, the
powder 3 may be discarded after being recycled for a predetermined period of time. For example, it is allowable that the number of printed sheets of therecording medium 1, printing time, ink jetting amount, etc. is/are measured; and that when the predetermined values that have been set in advance are reached, the recoveredpowder 3 may be discarded and thenew powder 3 may be supplied to the transportingroller 4. - In the above-described first to eighth embodiments, the implementation order of steps in the ink jet recording methods can be changed or a part of the steps may be omitted, if necessary. For example, in the first embodiment, an example is described in which the transporting of the
recording medium 1 is started (step S3) after thepowder 3 has been supplied to the transporting roller 4 (step S2), but the present invention is not limited to this, and it is allowable to start the supply of thepowder 3 to the transportingroller 4 and the transportation of therecording medium 1 at the same time or to start the transportation of therecording medium 1 earlier, provided that therecording medium 1 after recording can be transported in a state that thepowder 3 is intervened between the recording surface of therecording medium 1 and the surface of the transportingroller 4. - Examples of the present invention will be explained below together with comparative examples. The present invention is not limited to the below-described examples and comparative examples.
- Components of the ink composition (Table 1), other than a self-dispersible pigment “CAB-O-JET (trade name) 300”, were uniformly mixed to obtain an ink solvent. The self-dispersible pigment was then gradually added to the ink solvent, followed by being mixed uniformly. The mixture thus obtained was then filtrated or filtered through a cellulose acetate membrane filter (pore size 3.00 μm) manufactured by Toyo Roshi Kaisha Ltd. to obtain
Ink 1. - Carbon black “MA100” 15 wt %, “DISPERBYK 190” 9 wt %, glycerin 15 wt %, and water 61 wt % were mixed, then dispersion treatment was performed in a wet sand mill using zirconia beads with a diameter of 0.3 mm as a medium to obtain a black pigment dispersion. Then, water 55.4 wt %, glycerin 40.5 wt %, dipropylene glycol n-
propyl ether 3 wt %, and “Orfin (trade name) E1010” 1.1 wt % were mixed to obtain an ink solvent. The ink solvent 66.7 wt % was then gradually added to the black pigment dispersion 33.3 wt % under stirring and the components were uniformly mixed. The mixture thus obtained was then filtrated through a cellulose acetate membrane filter (pore size 3.00 μm) manufactured by Toyo Roshi Kaisha Ltd. to obtainInk 2. The ink composition of theInk 2 is shown in Table 1. - The components of the ink composition (Table 1), other than a self-dispersible pigment “CAB-O-JET (trade name) 260M” were uniformly mixed to obtain an ink solvent. The self-dispersible pigment was then gradually added to the ink solvent, followed being uniformly mixed. The mixture thus obtained was then filtrated through a cellulose acetate membrane filter (pore size 3.00 μm) manufactured by Toyo Roshi Kaisha Ltd. to obtain
Ink 3. -
TABLE 1 Ink 1 Ink 2 In 3 Black ink Black ink Magenta ink CAB-O-JET (trade name) 300 (*1) 40.0 — — MA100 (*2) — 5.0 — CAB-O-JET (trade name) — — 50.0 260M (*3) Glycerin 33.15 32.0 34.0 Dipropylene glycol 5.0 — 5.0 Dipropylene glycol n-propyl ether 2.0 2.0 2.0 Orfin (trade name) E1010 (*4) 0.7 0.7 0.7 Sannole (trade name) NL1430 (*5) 1.2 — 1.2 DISPERBYK 190 (*6) — 3.0 — Water Balance Balance Balance Ink composition units: wt % (*1): self-dispersible pigment: pigment concentration = 15 wt %, manufactured by Cabot Specialty Chemicals Co., Ltd. (*2): Carbon black: manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Corp. (*3): self-dispersible pigment: pigment concentration = 10 wt %, manufactured by Cabot Specialty Chemicals Co., Ltd. (4*): Acetylene glycol surfactant (ethylene oxide (10 mol) adduct of acetylene diol); effective component amount = 100 wt %; manufactured by Nisshin Kagaku Kogyo KK. (*5): Polyoxyethylene (3E.O.) alkyl (C = 12 = 13) ether sulfuric acid sodium; effective component amount = 28 wt %; manufactured by Lion Corp. (*6): Manufactured by Byk-Chemi Co. - An image was recorded on the recording surface of a recording medium 1 (LaserPrint 241b, manufactured by Hammennill) according to the recording method shown in
FIG. 4 by using the inkjet recording apparatus 100 shown inFIG. 1 . The image was recorded by using theInk 1 on a central portion located 44 mm downstream of the leading end of therecording medium 1 in the recording medium transporting direction X, under the following conditions: recording surface area: 22 mm (length)×22 mm (width), recording density: 100%. The shape, size, and operation conditions of the structural components of the inkjet recording apparatus 100 are described below. - Ink jet head 2: the water-base ink of 21 pL per 1 dot was jetted at 600 dpi.
- Powder 3: acrylic particles (particle size 18 μm, manufactured by Toyobo Co., Ltd.; TAFTIC (trade name) AR650S).
- Transporting roller 4: a roller with a diameter of 13 mm in which a rubber cylinder is molded around a metal core and convex portions and concave portions are provided on the surface to cause the adhesion of the
powder 3. The revolution speed=1390 rpm. - Nip roller 5: a roller with a diameter of 13 mm in which a rubber cylinder is molded around a metal core. The revolution speed=1390 rpm.
- Contact pressure force between the transporting
roller 4 and nip roller 5: 0.18 kgf/cm2 (0.18×9.8×104 Pa). - Paper feed roller 9: a roller with a diameter of 13 mm in which a rubber cylinder is molded around a metal core. The revolution speed=1390 rpm.
- An image was recorded in the same manner as in Example 1, except that divinylbenzene polymer particles (particle size 30 μm; manufactured by Sekisui Chemical Co., Ltd.; MICROPEARL (trade name) GS-230) was used as the
powder 3. - An image was recorded in the same manner as in Example 1, except that glass particles (particle size 30 μm; manufactured by the Association of Powder Process Industry and Engineering, Japan; Glass Beads GBL-30) was used as the
powder 3. - An image was recorded in the same manner as in Example 1, except that polystyrene particles (particle size 50 μm; manufactured by Ganz Chemical Co., Ltd.; GANZ PEARL (trade name) GM-5003) were used as the
powder 3. - An image was recorded in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the
Ink 2 was used instead of theInk 1. - An image was recorded in the same manner as in Example 2, except that the
Ink 2 was used instead of theInk 1. - An image was recorded in the same manner as in Example 3, except that the
Ink 2 was used instead of theInk 1. - An image was recorded in the same manner as in Example 4, except that the
Ink 2 was used instead of theInk 1. - An image was recorded in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the
Ink 3 was used instead of theInk 1. - An image was recorded in the same manner as in Example 2, except that the
Ink 3 was used instead of theInk 1. - An image was recorded in the same manner as in Example 3, except that the
Ink 3 was used instead of theInk 1. - An image was recorded in the same manner as in Example 4, except that the
Ink 3 was used instead of theInk 1. - An image was recorded in the same manner as in Example 1, except that acrylic particles (
particle size 3 μm, manufactured by JSR Co., SX8703(A)-02) were used as thepowder 3. - An image was recorded in the same manner as in Example 1, except that divinylbenzene polymer particles (
particle size 10 μm; manufactured by Sekisui Chemical Co., Ltd.; MICROPEARL (trade name) SP-210) were used as thepowder 3. - An image was recorded in the same manner as in Example 5, except that acrylic particles (
particle size 3 μm, manufactured by JSR Co., SX8703(A)-02) were used as thepowder 3. - An image was recorded in the same manner as in Example 5, except that divinylbenzene polymer particles (
particle size 10 μm; manufactured by Sekisui Chemical Co., Ltd.; MICROPEARL (trade name) SP-210) were used as thepowder 3. - An image was recorded in the same manner as in Example 9, except that acrylic particles (
particle size 3 μm, manufactured by JSR Co., SX8703(A)-02) were used as thepowder 3. - An image was recorded in the same manner as in Example 9, except that divinylbenzene polymer particles (
particle size 10 μm; manufactured by Sekisui Chemical Co., Ltd.; MICROPEARL (trade name) SP-210) were used as thepowder 3. - An image was recorded in the same manner as in Example 1, except that wheat flour (particle size: 15 μm) was used as the
powder 3. - An image was recorded in the same manner as in Example 1, except that edible starch (particle size: 30 μm) was used as the
powder 3. - An image was recorded in the same manner as in Example 1, except that a baby powder (talc) (particle size: 10 μm) was used as the
powder 3. - An image was recorded in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the
powder 3 was not used. - An image was recorded in the same manner as in Example 5, except that the
powder 3 was not used. - An image was recorded in the same manner as in Example 9, except that the
powder 3 was not used. - The transfer evaluation was performed by the following method with respect to the examples and comparative examples.
- Image recording on the recording surface of the
recording medium 1 was continuously performed on two sheets. Traces (retransfer traces) produced by the retransfer of the image of the first sheet of therecording medium 1 onto the recording surface of the second sheet ofrecording medium 1 via the transportingroller 4 were visually evaluated. The evaluation criteria are presented below. - A: there were no retransfer traces.
- B: the number of retransfer traces was not more than 3.
- C: the number of retransfer traces was not less than 4; the contour of the retransferred image was unclear.
- D: the number of retransfer traces was not less than 4 and less than 10; the contour of the retransferred image was clear.
- E: the number of retransfer traces was not less than 10; there was significant dirtying (staining) by retransferred image; the print was not suitable for practical use.
- The types and particle sizes of the
powders 3, ink types, and evaluation results obtained in the retransfer evaluation for the examples and comparative examples are shown in Table 2. -
TABLE 2 Water-insoluble powder Particle size Transfer evaluation Type (μm) Ink results Example 1 Acrylic particles 18 Ink 1 A (manufactured by Toyobo Co., Ltd.; TAFTIC (trade name AR650S) Example 2 Divinylbenzene polymer particles 30 Ink 1 A (manufactured by Sekisui Chemical Co., Ltd.; MICROPEARL (trade name) GS- 230) Example 3 Glass particles 30 Ink 1 A (manufactured by the Association of Powder Process Industry and Engineering, Japan; Glass Beads GBL-30) Example 4 Polystyrene particles 50 Ink 1 A (manufactured by Ganz Chemical Co., Ltd.; GANZ PEARL (trade name) GM-5003) Example 5 Acrylic particles 18 Ink 2 A (manufactured by Toyobo Co., Ltd.; TAFTIC (trade name) AR650S) Example 6 Divinylbenzene polymer particles 30 Ink 2 A (manufactured by Sekisui Chemical Co., Ltd.; MICROPEARL (trade name) GS- 230) Example 7 Glass particles 30 Ink 2 A (manufactured by the Association of Powder Process Industry and Engineering, Japan; Glass Beads GBL-30) Example 8 Polystyrene particles 50 Ink 2 A (manufactured by Ganz Chemical Co., Ltd.; GANZ PEARL (trade name) GM-5003) Example 9 Acrylic particles 18 Ink 3 A (manufactured by Toyobo Co., Ltd.; TAFTIC (trade name) AR650S) Example 10 Divinylbenzene polymer particles 30 Ink 3 A (manufactured by Sekisui Chemical Co., Ltd.; MICROPEARL (trade name) GS-230) Example 11 Glass particles 30 Ink 3 A (manufactured by the Association of Powder Process Industry and Engineering, Japan; Glass Beads GBL-30) Example 12 Polystyrene particles 50 Ink 3 A (manufactured by Ganz Chemical Co., Ltd.; GANZ PEARL (trade name) GM-5003) Example 13 Acrylic particles (manufactured by 3 Ink 1 D JSR Co., SX8703(A)-02) Example 14 Divinylbenzene polymer particles 10 Ink 1 C (manufactured by Sekisui Chemical Co., Ltd.; MICROPEARL (trade name) SP-210) Example 15 Acrylic particles (manufactured by 3 Ink 2 D JSR Co., SX8703(A)-02) Example 16 Divinylbenzene polymer particles 10 Ink 2 C (manufactured by Sekisui Chemical Co., Ltd.; MICROPEARL (trade name) SP-210) Example 17 Acrylic particles (manufactured by 3 Ink 3 D JSR Co., SX8703(A)-02) Example 18 Divinylbenzene polymer particles 10 Ink 3 C (manufactured by Sekisui Chemical Co., Ltd.; MICROPEARL (trade name) SP-210) Example 19 Wheat flour 15 Ink 1 A Example 20 Edible starch 30 Ink 1 A Example 21 baby powder (talc) 10 Ink 1 C Comparative — — Ink 1 E Example 1 Comparative — — Ink 2 E Example 2 Comparative — — Ink 3 E Example 3 - As shown in Table 2, in Examples 1 to 21, the transfer evaluation results were satisfactory as compared with in Comparative Examples 1 to 3 which used no powder. In particular, satisfactory transfer evaluation results were obtained in the cases using a powder with an average particle size of not less than 10 μm and especially satisfactory transfer evaluation results were obtained in the cases that using a powder with an average particle size of not less than 15 μm.
- Examples 1 to 21 are each the first embodiment in which the recording method illustrated by
FIG. 4 is implemented using the inkjet recording apparatus 100 shown inFIG. 1 . It is conceivable that the surface area of thepowder 3 is one of the reasons why good transfer evaluation results were obtained when the average particle size of thepowder 3 was not less than 10 μm, in particular not less than 15 μm. Thepowder 3 movably adheres to the surface of the transportingroller 4 and rotates, etc., thereby changing the contact surface of thepowder 3 contacting with therecording medium 1. With the powder with a smaller surface area (powder with a small average particle size), the ratio of the surface (surface with the possibility of being dirtied or stained), coming into contact with the recording surface, becomes greater with respect to the entire surface area of the powder. Therefore, when the transporting roller again transports the following recording medium, the probability is increased that a portion of the surface of the powder, which come into contact with the previous recording medium (another portion of the surface having the possibility of being dirtied or stained) comes into contact with the recording surface of the following recording medium. - On the other hand, for example, in a case that the recording method illustrated by
FIG. 5 is implemented (second embodiment) by using the inkjet recording apparatus 200 shown inFIG. 2 , the average particle size of thepowder 3 causes no difference in the transfer evaluation results. Thepowder 3 which has once come into contact with therecording medium 1 is removed by thepowder removal blade 10 from the transportingroller 4 and thenew powder 3 is supplied to the transportingroller 4 at all times. Therefore, the effect is demonstrated regardless of the particle size of the powder.
Claims (18)
1. An ink jet recording apparatus which records information on a medium by jetting an ink onto a recording surface of the medium, comprising:
an ink accommodation section which accommodates the ink;
a head which jets the ink onto the recording surface;
a transporting roller which transports the medium on which the information has been recorded; and
a powder supply mechanism which supplies a powder to the transporting roller.
2. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the transporting roller transports the medium on which the information has been recorded in a state that the powder is intervened between a surface of the transporting roller and the recording surface of the medium.
3. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the transporting roller transports the medium on which the information has been recorded in a state that the powder is movably adhered to a surface of the transporting roller.
4. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the transporting roller causes a part of the powder supplied to the transporting roller to adhere to the recording surface of the medium when the transporting roller transports the medium.
5. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a powder recovery mechanism which recovers the powder supplied to the transporting roller.
6. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 5 , further comprising a powder transport mechanism which transports the recovered powder to the powder supply mechanism.
7. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a counter roller which transports, together with the transporting roller, the medium after the recording; and
a voltage application mechanism which applies a voltage to the transporting roller or the counter roller.
8. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the ink is a water-base ink and contains a pigment.
9. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the powder includes particles having an average particle size of 15 μm to 50 μm.
10. An ink jet recording method, comprising:
recording information on a medium by jetting an ink onto a recording surface of the medium;
supplying a powder to a transporting roller which transports the medium on which the information has been recorded; and
transporting the medium on which the information has been recorded by the transporting roller to which the powder has been supplied.
11. The ink jet recording method according to claim 10 , when the medium on which the information has been recorded is transported by the transporting roller, the powder is intervened between a surface of the transporting roller and the recording surface of the medium.
12. The ink jet recording method according to claim 10 , when the medium on which the information has been recorded is transported by the transporting roller, the powder is movably adhered to a surface of the transporting roller.
13. The ink jet recording method according to claim 10 , comprising causing a part of the powder supplied to the transporting roller to adhere to the recording surface of the medium when the medium on which the information has been recorded is transported.
14. The ink jet recording method according to claim 10 , further comprising recovering the powder supplied to the transporting roller.
15. The ink jet recording method according to claim 14 , further comprising supplying the recovered powder again to the transporting roller.
16. The ink jet recording method according to claim 10 , wherein the medium is transported by the transporting roller and a counter roller; and
the method further comprises applying a voltage to the transporting roller or the counter roller.
17. The ink jet recording method according to claim 10 , wherein the ink is a water-base ink and contains a pigment.
18. The ink jet recording method according to claim 10 , wherein the powder includes particles having an average particle size of 15 μm to 50 μm.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
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JP2008308011A JP4631963B2 (en) | 2008-12-02 | 2008-12-02 | Inkjet recording apparatus and inkjet recording method |
JP2008-308011 | 2008-12-02 |
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US12/629,358 Abandoned US20100134572A1 (en) | 2008-12-02 | 2009-12-02 | Ink Jet Recording Apparatus and Ink Jet Recording Method |
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JP (1) | JP4631963B2 (en) |
Cited By (6)
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US20110237071A1 (en) * | 2008-09-19 | 2011-09-29 | Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company,Inc. | Copper wiring surface protective liquid and method for manufacturing semiconductor circuit |
US20130162705A1 (en) * | 2011-12-22 | 2013-06-27 | Thomas Nathaniel Tombs | Printer with adaptive distortion control |
US20130162709A1 (en) * | 2011-12-22 | 2013-06-27 | Thomas Nathaniel Tombs | Method for printing on locally distorable mediums |
US20140307016A1 (en) * | 2010-06-02 | 2014-10-16 | Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. | Tension module for wide format inkjet printers |
US8864255B2 (en) * | 2011-12-22 | 2014-10-21 | Eastman Kodak Company | Method for printing with adaptive distortion control |
US20150270512A1 (en) * | 2012-10-11 | 2015-09-24 | Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. | Organic electroluminescence element and lighting device |
Families Citing this family (1)
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JP6006710B2 (en) * | 2013-10-31 | 2016-10-12 | 京セラドキュメントソリューションズ株式会社 | Ink jet recording apparatus, ink set for ink jet recording, and ink jet recording method |
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JP2010131788A (en) | 2010-06-17 |
JP4631963B2 (en) | 2011-02-16 |
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